


Out of Time.

by Joseph_Nightjar



Category: The Stanley Parable
Genre: Gen, Spoilers, different game ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-10
Updated: 2015-05-10
Packaged: 2018-03-29 23:44:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,575
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3915136
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Joseph_Nightjar/pseuds/Joseph_Nightjar
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Stanley had tried to escape the office many times without success. At his very end, the Narrator finally manages to convince Stanley that he should have been listening to him a long time ago.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Out of Time.

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys!  
> I know, I know... I haven't posted something for months, but truth is, my depression got just too worse. I am not even sure why I wrote this one, probably to digest some of the latest events that had happened in my life? I am not sure about this.  
> Nevertheless, I hope you enjoy this little story as much as you can :)
> 
> I will of course try to post some more works soon, but I won't promise anything for now.
> 
> Love you all, and thank you for all the Kudos and Support!

Sometimes I hate you, Stanley.

No, I mean it, I really do. This is the eighteenth time that you did anything but following my directions. Do you actually believe I want something bad for you? You died several times, committed suicide and now you are still not up to following my directions?

Okay, listen. Listen closely, because this time, you just do what I… Hey! Did I tell you to already start walking?

You know what, forget it. I won’t say anything anymore. How’s that? I just keep my mouth shut and… No, that would be quite boring, wouldn’t it?

Should I just tell you a story instead? That would be nice, wouldn’t it?

I have something _really_  interesting for you. A little story about yourself. And this one you haven’t heard by now. Are you ready? Oh yeah, you won’t answer me, right.

I just start now, okay? If you don’t wanna hear it, just cover your ears, alright? This could be a little emotional for you, so if you need anything, if you want me to stop after all, just tell me. You will find a way, I am sure.

…

…

…

You know, this isn’t actually easy for me, too. I don’t really have a good start, but I just try, okay?

Do you remember that time I mentioned your wife? And your children? Well, you made this into a little horror show, but they actually do exist.

Well, nevermind, I just start again, okay? Maybe you wanna go to the employee's room, just sitting down for a while? You know, in case you faint while hearing this little story? No? Okay, then just walk off, try finding your own way out of here, I don’t care! If you had listened to me, if you just had listened from the very beginning, you wouldn’t have had to suffer this much, but you wanted to stay here so badly, you wanted to be stuck in this office for ever instead of finally leaving, right?

…

…

…

Oh…

…

You know it, right? You actually know what’s going on, do you? Stanley, listen to me. You need to accept it, okay? Because I will be stuck here forever as well if you won’t let go of this.

Okay, okay, listen. I will tell you that story of yours again, and then we will find a way out, alright? Would be so kind and walk over to the employee's room now?

…

…

…

Amazing, so you actually do hear me. I was already worried that this part of you might be deaf or something, but you are able to listen to my words.

Do you feel comfortable? Probably not, but that’s alright.

So, after all those days, months, years, or how long this might have been, I will finally be able to tell you this special little story again.

This is the story of a man named Stanley.

At the beginning of his journey, he thought he was an employee in this building, but this is nothing but a lie. Stanley had never worked here, in fact, he had worked as a landscaper, but after all this time right here in this empty office, he had almost forgotten it. Stanley also had a family, but as soon as he had arrived here, he had forgotten about them as well. In fact, all those things were just gone, his childhood, his parents, his friends... he even forgot what his wife and child looked like. He still knew they were out there somewhere, but that was it.

Am I going too far? No? You wanna hear the rest of this little story? Well, at least you’re still sitting here, so I guess you want me to go on?

Alright.

Where was I? So, Stanley had been happy. He had always been happy, having a good life, a good job, a wonderful wife and a child. At least that is what is left of his memory, no one could know if it was actually true or just another thing he made up during his time in the office. But for the narrator still knew about it, it couldn’t be too wrong, right? Because he was the man with the brain, the one who was able to play god in here, knowing every little thing that wasn't deleted from his mind.

And now we get to the more thrilling part, alright Stanley? I am sure you are dying to know how you got here, right?

Should I tell you the sad truth now?

You actually _are_  dying to know. You’re as good as dead Stanley. We both are. 

…

…

…

Does it hurt to know? I am almost sure it does. Of course it does, you are hurt, because I am hurt as well.

I am a part of you, Stanley. I am right here, inside your head. And you are a part of me. Somehow we stopped working, Stanley. I guess we can’t be fixed anymore, but that’s alright, at least we had a lot of fun during our last hours, days, years, for all the time we had been here, right?

Should I tell you the rest of your story now? I am sure you waited long enough for this, right? Okay, okay… I will tell you.

You and I, we had a little accident. We have been shot, you know? Right in the head. On our way home. Sad, isn’t it, Stanley. We have been shot for the small amount of money in our wallet. The few dollars we wanted to spend on the groceries for this week. Shot because of some lousy, useless... I am off topic, am I?

We aren’t in this office, Stanley. We are in a hospital, and we’re slowly dying. It gets even harder for me to keep up all those things around us, and you really have to do what I tell you to get out of here, okay?

There is no mind control facility, there is no heaven, no escape pot, there is nothing, alright? We need to get out of your brain before everything gets even worse.

I know, I know, you still think I am joking, but I am not. If you had just listened to me, we could have been out of this damaged brain times ago, but you just didn’t want to let go, right? You knew all of this since the very first day, right? At least the few things that haven't been destroyed. 

Alright, alright, Stanley. You know, I can understand this perfectly well. We both didn’t really want to die so soon, right? At least I still had hope to get out of here alive, but well… We all make mistakes sometimes, right?

Nevermind, we will get out of here another way, alright?

At least you know what happened now. Do you feel a little better? Probably not. Well, it’s time to get up now. Come on Stanley.

…

…

…

Thank you, this means a lot to me.

Okay, now do exactly what I’m telling you, alright?

As Stanley entered the room, he choose the door on his left. But you actually know what you have to do, right? I don’t have to tell you anymore. You know the way, you know the code, you know everything.

Just wait a second, okay? We can fasten this up a little. Close your eyes for a moment. Here you go, Stanley. I knew you would be able to listen to me. Now give me a few more seconds, alright… Okay, you can open them again.

Isn’t it nice? I made all this just for you. For us. So we are both able to enjoy our very last moments. 

Do you remember this day in the park? We have been here with our family, Stanley. Just you and me, your wife, your child. Can you still remember if it was a girl or a boy? Or… did we even have a child? Maybe we just had a dog or a pig, a lizard, I am not sure anymore, are you? Probably not.

Can you remember how your wife looked? We did have a wife, right? Or was it something else? Who are we, anyway? Were we… Our name is still Stanley, right? So I am almost sure we had a wife. If I was just able to remember her name. Was it... was it Mariella? I am sure this was her name. At least I still know this, I guess. 

Oh, Stanley. I guess it’s coming to an end now, but does it really matter? I mean, if we can’t remember the life as it was before all of this, it’s not too bad, right?

Are you happy, Stanley? Because… because I actually am. I am happy. Look at this wonderful park, look at the violet grass and the blue trees, while the wind is gently rushing through them, look at this wonderful green sunset and the little cats flying towards it. Isn’t this just beautiful?

We need to let go now, Stanley. Let the wind carry you away. I don’t want to stay here, I want to go on. Maybe there will be something exciting? Are you ready to leave? Of course you are.

Because I am ready now. I haven’t been all this time, but it’s okay now. You’re just a part of me, no, you are _me_. In the end, we’re the same person, Stanley.

We should go now. It really is time.


End file.
